At fourteen, Val moved from Missouri to Anchorage to live with his father, leaving behind a troubled past marked by abuse. Hoping for a fresh start, he soon faced new challenges—within his family and his mental health. In search of support, Val found VOA Alaska.
His journey began in the Outpatient Mental Health program, where he worked with a therapist to improve his well-being. He then transitioned to the Supportive Housing program with the goal of securing stable housing.
Val vividly remembers stepping into his first apartment. “I was overjoyed,” he says. “It was my first apartment, the first thing I could truly call mine, my own space. When I was younger, I never had a room to myself, never had that sense of personal space.”
With stable housing, Val focused on education and employment. Working with VOA Employment Specialist, Desiree Cameron, he set out to find a job and earn his GED. Initially, adjusting to support was challenging. But Desiree’s patience helped him build trust and confidence.
That confidence was essential. After dropping out of school, balancing work and education felt overwhelming. He felt like he “couldn’t mentally handle [it].”
